Hero
by Catefaerie
Summary: Not all Heroes have capes. When the daughter of the British Ambassador to the US disappears, FBI Missing Persons join forces with and an MI5 secret service agent in a race against time. Events unfolding soon reveal that not all is as it seems. Rated M for
1. How It Begins

Summary: Not all Heroes have capes. When the daughter of the British Ambassador to the US disappears, FBI Missing Persons join forces with and MI5 secret service agent in a race against time. Events unfolding soon reveal that not all is as it seems. Rated M for language.

Disclaimer: I do not own Without A Trace or it's characters. The rest are all mine!

As ever, Enjoy!

* * *

**How It Begins**

"C'mon Stacie!" Three girls, no more than 17-years-old, ran across the grass of a local High School giggling.

"Lizzy," one, blonde, turned to a pretty brunette, "What if you get caught?"

"So what?" the brunette had a strong, educated English accent, "Daddy, will tell me not to do again and then leave Jess to deal with me. And we all know what Jess lets me away with."

The three girls laughed.

"Come on," the other blonde said, "I want to get a new skirt for Friday night."

They reached a junction and Lizzy waited for the lights to change while the other two girls ran across the road. Lizzy squealed. "You could have got yourself killed!" she yelled across the road.

"Well we didn't!" they called back, laughing, "Come on!"

Lizzy looked up and down the road and decided to wait until the bus that was heading her direction passed.

"After this bus!" one of her friends called. They smiled at her and watched as the bus passed by. She was gone.

* * *


	2. The Other Team

**The Other Team**

_2 hours missing._

Jack and Viv pulled up the curb and jumped out. Martin looked up, nodded to Sam and walked to meet them, limping slightly but at least unaided.

"Elizabeth "Lizzy" Stewart, 16, disappeared just after leaving Kennedy High School this afternoon." He told them.

"Who are they?" Jack nodded towards the two young girls Sam was interviewing.

"Her friends, Stacie Benson and Katie Robinson. They've told us that they left school with Lizzy and were walking to the markets when they were separated."

"Thanks Martin," Viv said and walked to the school's principal.

Jack was walking towards Sam when he heard an English voice, "Agent Malone?"

He turned to find a young woman coming towards him, "Who's asking?"

"Agent Jessica Simmons," the woman flashed a badge at him, "MI5 Secret Service."

"British Secret Service?" Jack eyed her warily, "What do you have to do with this case?"

"This _case_ is a lot more sensitive than you may think," she stopped, "Elizabeth Stewart is no ordinary teenager. She is the daughter of the British Ambassador."

"What?"

"I am head of the team assigned to protect Lizzy and her father, Lord Philip. Lizzy was to be picked up by her personal bodyguard after school. It seems she snuck out the back doors and gave him the slip."

"Jack!" their conversation was interrupted by Danny's voice. "Sorry," he apologised.

"Its fine," Jack replied. "Agent Danny Taylor; Agent Jessica Simmons, MI5 Secret Service."

Jessica shook his hand, "Jess is fine."

"What is it Danny?"

"We could have something." Danny motioned for him to follow, "The guy that owns this rental store said he saw a girl matching Lizzy's description getting into a black unmarked car around the time Lizzy disappeared." He stopped in front of the store, "He said the car pulled up and she leaned in the window. She seemed to have an argument with the driver and then got in the back."

Jack turned to Jess, "Any chance one of your guys picked her up?"

"The only man assigned to her today was her bodyguard, who was waiting at the school for her. He was the one who called me to report her missing. Lizzy would never have got into a car with someone she didn't know, someone who didn't identify themselves as an agent. " Jess pulled out her cellphone, "Give me a minute."

She walked away from Jack and Danny to make a call.

"What has she got to do with the case Jack?" Danny asked.

"This girl, this Lizzy, is the daughter of the British Ambassador," Jack explained.

"Oh…" Danny murmured.

"Exactly," Jack replied, "We could have a serious problem on our hands if we don't find this girl alive… and soon."

"What!" Jess's angry voice caught them off-guard. They turned to look at her and hear her explode at some poor agent on the other end, "What do you mean James took out a car this morning? James lost his bloody I.D. last week! He can't take out a car! Describe the agent who took it." She listened intently, "You friggin' idiot! No, that's not a bloody agent! Well done Mike, you just gave a car to Lizzy's kidnapper. Of all the cock-ups you've done, this is by far the worst." Jess massaged her temple and calmed herself, "Yes, I know… how were you to know he wasn't an agent. Yes… okay. Look, just pull up all the details for that car and send them to FBI's Missing Persons Offices please. Because this is their damn case, and we need to co-operate with them if we have any hope of finding her alive, and if you have any hope of keeping any job within the service. Don't question me Mike, just do it. Thank you."

She turned to face Jack, "It seems that one of my staff gave a car to a man impersonating an agent, using a tampered I.D."

"Jack, I don't think there's anything more we can do here." Viv walked over, after talking to police.

Jack nodded, "Fine. Agent Simmons, if you wouldn't mind accompanying us to the office just to answer a few questions?"

"Of course."

* * *


	3. FBI Missing Persons

**A/N: **Sorry about the mix-up- it can get very confusing

_

* * *

_

_5 hours missing_

Jess sat at Danny's desk and looked around. So this is what FBI offices looked like. She never thought she'd see this inside of one. She thought back to the time when all she ever dreamed of was working for these people. But of course her father would have none of it; if she was going to go into secret intelligence it would be for British Intelligence. Sometimes Michael Simmons was too patriotic for his own good. It got him killed after all, giving up his life for Queen and country in the Gulf War.

"Here," Danny handed her a cup of coffee and said on the edge of his desk.

Jess gulped the drink, letting the heat warm her insides. She sighed happily. "That's great," she told him, "Just what I needed." She smiled up at him.

He smiled back. 'He's got a great smile,' she thought, 'and cute eyes.' She tore her eyes from his when she realise what she was thinking. She stared into her mug, 'No, you are _not_ going there again. You've tried that once and it didn't work.'

"You okay?" Danny voice broke her thoughts.

"What?" Jess looked up at him, "Oh, yeah, I'm just worried about Lizzy."

Danny nodded, "We'll find her." He opened his mouth to say something when Jack and Vivian entered.

"Danny," Jack walked to them, "Have you got everything we need for now?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Jess stood, "Agent Malone-"

"Jack."

"Jack, I'd like to be part of this investigation. Lizzy was under my care and I need to make sure she comes back safe. MI5 will do anything you need."

Jack contemplated this for a moment, "Can we speak in my office."

Jess followed him across the room to his office and took a seat in front of his desk. She looked the scene in front of her. Everything had a place and it was obvious that things rarely moved. This guy was somewhat of a control freak. She looked at him as he sat down, at the lines on his face that showed experiences beyond his years. In truth he was probably late 30s, early 40s, but he looked about 50.She looked at his left hand; no wedding ring, but yet a picture of a woman and two young girls sat behind the desk. Key sign of someone who's not ready to let go- the ex was still in the photograph. And being in the position he was, having to find missing people day-in, day-out, sometimes too late, would have an effect too.

He was a man who couldn't control anything else in his life but this; his office, his own little space.

Jack interrupted her thoughts, "Agent Simmons…"

"Jess."

"Jess, I don't think you being part of this case is a good idea. Helping us with as much information as possible, yes, but actually being involved, no."

"Excuse me?" Jess's eyes narrowed.

"I feel that you are too close to the subject; you have a link with her which could jeopardise this case and my agents' lives."

"The 'subject' has a name, Jack."

"This is exactly what I mean-"

"Agent Malone," Jess cut him off, her anger rising, "I fully appreciate that you have your agents to think about, but I will not be removed from this case. It is my job to get her back. I will be taking part. And besides… she's a subject of Her Majesty's kingdom; this is my jurisdiction."

"Agent Simmons," Jack continued calmly, "These are my offices."

"This case is my jurisdiction, not yours." Jess stood up, "I am willing to let you and your team take the lead as you are better equipped to deal with the situation, however I can and will take over this investigation with my own team if needs be."

Silence descended on the room after her outburst.

"Jack," Jess's tone was softer, almost pleading as she sank back into her chair, "I need to find her. And I need you to let me do that."

Jack though for a moment, "Okay… look, can you get a list of anyone who could potentially have a reason for taking the Ambassador's daughter? And we're gonna' need to talk to the guy who gave out the car.

"No problem." Jess lifted her cell off his desk and slipped it into her pocket, "I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

* * *


	4. MI5 Base

_

* * *

__14 hours missing_

Danny and Martin stood in the foyer of the British Embassy in New York, waiting to be shown into Jess's office. Even through it was well past midnight, the foyer was a hub of activity; phones were ringing incessantly, suited men and women were hurrying in and out of rooms, up and down the stairs.

"How you doin'?" Danny looked down at Martin's leg.

"Its fine," Martin replied, "Not as painful anymore, and at least I can walk without a cane. I'm getting sick of physio though."

"Well, y'know man, you can always come to the gym with me."

"Yeah, maybe." Martin knew that Danny still felt guilty about the shooting, still blamed himself for Martin's wounds, and was still trying to make it up to him, even though Martin had told him there was nothing to forgive.

"Yes sir," Jess's voice cut their conversation short and they looked up to see her walking with an older man, "We're doing everything we can to find her."

"I want her back Jessica," the man turned to look at her, "She's my little girl."

Jess placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'll find her Phil."

"I know you will." The Ambassador pulled her into a hug.

Jessica waited a moment before pulling back, "Go; meet with the President."

The Ambassador walked away as a young woman came to her. She handed her a sheet and said something. Jess looked up and saw Danny and Martin. She thanked the woman and walked to them.

"Agent Taylor, Agent Fitzgerald." Jess shook their hands, "Follow me please."

They followed her past the sweeping staircase and through a door underneath it. A stone spiral staircase led downwards. "Very medieval," Jess looked up at them as she walked down, "But it works for us. We've got our own little control room down here so to speak."

The room below was even busier than the foyer.

Danny and Martin followed Jess across the room and into a back room, where a nervous looking man was sitting.

"Agents Taylor, Fitzgerald, this is Mike Wilson," Jess introduced him, "Mike is in charge of all vehicles." She handed Danny a cassette, "We've already interviewed him; this is a copy of it. And here's a list of potential suspects."

Danny read through the list, "There's not many here."

"The Ambassador's a popular man."

"Okay," Martin finished reading the list over Danny's shoulder, "We're gonna' need to talk to Mr Wilson in private and we'll also need to speak to the bodyguard."

"No problem. I am going to have to ask that one of my agents observe the interview from another room."

"Of course."

* * *

Jess sat in her office tapping the desk with her pen. A report lay on her desk but she couldn't bring herself to focus on it. Her thoughts were racing. Where was she? Was she hurt? Was she scared? Did they…?

She shook her head, unable to say the words in her head, let alone out loud. She looked at the video tape in front of her; the security tape from the car bay. She walked around her desk and slotted it into the VCR. Leaning back on her desk, she flicked on the screen with her remote.

Fast forwarding, she watched the time rush by on the counter and hit play when it reached two-thirty. There he was; the man who take her. When she got hold of him; god help him, she'd kill him.

"That him?" Martin's voice made her jump.

She turned to face him, "Yeah, yeah I think so."

"You got any idea who it is? Anyone from the list." Martin leant against the desk next to her.

"Not a clue." Jess squinted at the picture, "But there is something familiar about him."

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure, the way he moves… I feel like I know him. Like I've met him before… before I joined the service."

"An old friend from England, perhaps? Someone who held a grudge you thought had been resolved." Martin sat on one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"No," Jess shook her head, her eyes still glued to the screen, "It's not a friend… he makes me feel tense… gives me the chills." She turned to look at Martin, "Do you know what I mean?"

Martin shook his head, "Not really."

"I'm sure its nothing." Jess sat back in her chair, "Where's Agent Taylor?"

"He's still interviewing one of your agents with Agent Finnegan."

"So what can I do for you, Agent Fitzgerald?"

"Martin, please."

"Martin," Jess stressed his name, "what is it?"

"The agent that had his I.D. stolen."

"James, yeah, what about him?"

"We need to interview him."

"Wait, you think James would?" Jess asked incredulously, "James would never do that. I run a tight ship here, Agent Fitzgerald."

"We, and you, need to entertain the possibility that one of your own was, at the very least, involved. And if his I.D. was used by an outsider, it could be that the kidnapper used it to access files and information that would lead him or her to Lizzy's whereabouts."

Jess studied him, and finally decided that his words made sense, "Sarah? Can you get Agent Clarke in here a.s.a.p. please? Thanks."

"And we'll need details of the car."

"That's fine." Jess looked at him, "And I'll look into to what files he has accessed the past couple of weeks. Anything else?"

He hesitated, "Are you… are you okay?"

Jess leaned back, "Yeah… no… I just… this girl is under my care. I'm close to her… very close. She's like a younger sister to me. And I've let her down."

Martin looked at the British Agent, trying to keep her wits around her, and tried to find a way to reassure her, "We'll find her."

* * *


	5. Reaching Out

_

* * *

__25 hours missing_

Jess sat on her cream leather couch, her knees against her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs. She stared unseeing at her wooden floor. Her hair was loose around her bare shoulders and her curled toes peeked out from underneath her grey track bottoms.

She could feel it all… her world as she knew it was falling apart. She spent her life working and if she didn't find Lizzy soon she'd find herself without a job. Not that it matter to her; if she didn't find Lizzy and find her alive, nothing would matter anymore. She'd been working with the girl since she was 24-years-old; just two years after she'd completed her training. She started as her bodyguard and in the nearly six years since had slowly climbed to the top of her detail.

She thought about the first time she'd met the teenager. The 11-year-old she had met was very different to the 16-year-old she knew now. Having lost her mother at nine and getting little attention from her busy father, the girl had rebelled younger than most. By the time she was 10, Lizzy had had her ears pierced three times each side, the cartilage on her right ear pierced, her naval pierced and was apparently planning on getting her tongue and labret pierced. How her father had not noticed any of this was beyond Jess's understanding. It didn't take long for Jess long to realise that this little girl was lost and lonely. With her father working so much, the girl was moved from place to place and never had time to put down roots. Anywhere she went she was considered, like all new kids, an outcast. And what she needed the most was to talk to someone about it. So Jess had got close to Lizzy, tried to help her. Finally, after four months, Jess had broken through the walls Lizzy had built around herself to keep herself from being hurt.

It happened during one of their late night chats. The two girls had taken to getting hot chocolate, topped with cream and marshmallows and sitting in Lizzy's room, just talking. One night Lizzy just broke down and everything came out. How she felt isolated, how she thought no-one liked her, how she missed talking to her father, how she missed her mother. Jess had helped her though her problems and spoken to Lord Phillip about his daughters problems. From then everything changed. Lord Phillip requested that the Prime Minister give him a more permanent job; he became the Ambassador for the U.S. and he made more time for his daughter. He tried to catch up on the years he'd lost, explaining to her that he had worked so much to get away from the grief of losing her mother. He promised he would never leave her alone again, and true to his word he made the effort, eventually taking over on some of the late night chats, and of course arguing with her over her many piercings. He let her keep two piercings in each ear and her belly button ring but insisted on the removal on her cartilage piercing and one set in her ears.

Jess and Lizzy remained close and Jess treated her like a younger sister. Jess taught her to wear make-up correctly, so that her foundation wasn't orange as most young teenage girls tend to apply it with a trowel, and was considered the expert on what Lizzy should wear.

Jess was brought to the present by the sound of her doorbell ringing and she found her cheeks were damp from the tears she didn't even know she was crying. She looked in the mirror and realised that the tears she'd been fighting back for a little over a day had released themselves. She tried to stem the flow of hot tears and after a minute was able to wipe her cheeks dry without wetting them again.

"Shit. Dammit Jessica," she yelled at herself quietly, "Don't get involved."

She opened the door tentatively, surprised to find Agent Taylor on her doorstep. "Danny," she murmured his name without thinking. She blinked, silently berating herself, "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing," Danny replied, concern in his mocha brown eyes as he noticed the swelling and redness around hers, "Obviously I came at a bad time."

"No, no, come in," Jess opened her door further and rubbed at her eyes.

Danny stepped into her hall, "I'm actually here on official business as well."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Danny handed her a sheet of paper, "We've spoken to everyone on your list, except this guy. We can't seem to find him anywhere."

Jess looked down at the sheet, "Tom Cook. Yeah, he was let go about a year ago. Came onto the detail about 18 months ago, but couldn't handle taking orders from a woman. He thought he knew better and had a tendency to go against what I said. Very argumentative. Anyway, he decided one day that what I had ordered was wrong and did the opposite. Had the potential of getting Lizzy seriously hurt. Needless to say, I wasn't happy. He was let go of secret service completely after that. Seems he had run-ins with a few others as well; didn't like taking orders; thought he should be in charge. Of course, he blamed me for it. Said he'd…" her voice trailed off.

Danny waited.

"Said he'd get me back for 'ruining his career'." Jess looked up at him, "I never understood why anyone would be trying to get to the Ambassador; he's well-liked and for all his grandeur he doesn't actually have that much money."

"Maybe this is about you," Danny finally caught up to Jess's train of thought.

"Maybe…"

"Is there anyone else who holds a grudge against you?"

Jess snorted, "Is there anyone who doesn't?" She thought for a moment, "No, actually, to be fair, only one other person who would hate me that much."

"Who?"

"Jason Craig, my ex. He works for MI5 as well. We split after I got promoted over him. Promoted to Lizzy's bodyguard. He couldn't handle it. But I don't think he would risk his career on it."

"Would you mind coming back to the office and helping follow these up; you could be on to something."

"Hold on," Jess walked through her living room.

"What?" Danny followed her.

"Well, I'm not exactly dressed for it, am I?" Jess looked down at her clothes.

For the first time Danny noticed what she was wearing; baggy track bottoms, sitting low on her hips and trailing the floor, and a clinging vest top, which revealed part of her flat, toned stomach. He realised that with her curves she would have to work out a lot. She came back dressed in black pinstripe trousers and a cream jumper. She looked at him with her intensely blue eyes, waiting for him to say something. He shook his head slightly. 'Bad thoughts, bad thoughts,' he told himself.

"Let's go," he followed her out the door.

* * *


	6. Grey

* * *

The office was a hive of activity when they reached it. They were there just in time to see Sam lift her jacket, as she headed out the door.

"Sam," Danny stopped her, "What's going on?"

"We've got a potential lead. The Janitor at Lizzy's school has disappeared."

"I'm coming with you," Jess told her.

Sam looked at Jack, who nodded, "You can both come with us. Danny, you with me. Jess, you can go with Martin."

* * *

"Ernie Grey, 42, never married, lives alone." Jess read the janitor's bio, "Pretty much fits your stereotypical kidnapper."

"How so?" Martin questioned her as they pulled up to the school.

"Kidnappers tend to be loners, who have little control over their own lives and/or have nothing to lose by risking a stunt like abducting a child," she told him, "Although I get the feeling this is a control thing."

Martin switched off the engine and raised an eyebrow at her.

"No ransom demands… yet."

They slid out of the car and looked up at Kennedy High School.

Jess slipped on her sunglasses and straightened her jacket. She looked around at the groups of students lying on the grass, all split into their separate groups, "God, I hated school… now I remember why."

They were greeted by the school's Principal. "Antonia," Jess shook her hand, "This is Agent Fitzgerald of the FBI's missing person's unit."

"Jessica, Agent Fitzgerald," she shook their hands in turn, "If you'd like to follow me."

She led them to her office and invited them to sit, "Can I offer you tea or coffee?"

"No, thanks," Martin replied.

Antonia leant back in her chair, "Okay… so what do you need to know?"

"Details. When was he last seen?" Martin replied.

"He clocked out at about seven on Tuesday evening and didn't clock in this morning. I know it's a bit premature, but I was worried."

"You did the right thing. Did anyone see him clock out last night?"

"Well… no. But who else would punch him out?"

"Antonia," Jess leant forward, "did any see Grey between four and seven yesterday?"

"Yes, I saw him at six. Just after the police questioned him."

"Did Grey ever have any contact with Lizzy?"

"Not that I know of," she replied, "I'm really sorry, but I don't know what else to tell you. One minute he was here, the next he wasn't."

Jess nodded, "Thanks anyway."

The two agents stood, shook the principal's hand once more and made to leave.

"Jessica," Antonia walked around to face her, "How is Lizzy's father?"

"Worried sick actually…"

"I'm really sorry… I really, really am."

Jess rubbed her arm, "We'll find her."

* * *

Jess flipped her cellphone closed and turned to face Martin, who was finishing his own call.

"There's been no contact at the embassy."

"Sam and Danny have been to his apartment," Martin replied, "Either he left in a hurry, or he didn't leave at all."

Jess's brow furrowed, quizzically.

"All his stuff is there. The landlady said that no-one has seen him since Tuesday morning when he left for work."

"So he probably didn't go home."

Martin nodded and opened the car door, "So where did he go?"

"And if he is the kidnapper, where did he leave her for three hours? She disappeared at four; he disappears 3 hours after she does, but Antonia sees him at six. Why come back until seven?" Jess though aloud.

"Trying to keep appearances perhaps?" Martin supplied.

"Maybe…" Jess opened her door, "Let's get back to the office, and find out more fully what the rest of them have found."

* * *

To:

Andraya TheLat

babs6608

simbagirl

Cheers ma dears! I'm not really sure about it. If you think its disappearing into the realms of absolute toss, please do let me know.

Also, a small note to people- I'm leaving uni to go home for Easter (YAY!) so I might not get a chance to update for a bit. I'll be back in uni in 3 weeks though.

Love as always,

Cate x


	7. Letters

_28 hours missing_

Jess ran her fingers through her hair and buried her face in her hands. Her elbows rested on the table. Jack's team sat around it, doing the same thing.

"Okay," Jack stood up, "We're getting nowhere." He look round the table at his fatigued team, "Go home, get washed up and get back here a.s.a.p. and that includes you too, Jess."

"I think I'd rather stay here, Jack." Jess looked up at him.

"Don't argue."

Jess didn't bother to push any further; she was too tired. She stood and grabbed her phone to call a taxi, having no car as Danny had driven her in the night before.

"I'll drive you back to your place," Danny said.

"Thanks."

Viv opted to stay as she had only come in at seven so Jess, Danny, Sam and Martin were left to walk to the elevator.

"And guys," Viv's voice caught them before they got on, "Hurry back."

* * *

Jess sighed as soon as the hot water hit her. It coursed over her hair and down her aching body. It felt like forever since she's had a shower. In truth it was; the last time was the morning of Lizzy's disappearance and she desperately needed it.

After her normal 20 minutes she pulled herself out and walked to her bedroom, naked, in search of a towel. Finding one over her radiator, she sniffed it, deemed it useable and dried herself off. She grabbed another one and wrapped it over her hair.

God, she needed to do some washing. She pulled on a fresh shirt and clean trousers. Sitting in front of her mirror she reapplied her make-up slowly.

Her minded drifted to thoughts of one person, and surprisingly it wasn't Lizzy. It was Danny. He was quite cute when she thought about it. Not obviously gorgeous, although she was sure he had no trouble pulling when he wanted to. His eyes were the first thing that attracted her; their dark mocha, almost chocolate colour. She could easily fall in love with those eyes. And he was sweet, checking up on her to see how she was.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the post. Great; more bills. She shook herself. 'Stop thinking that,' she told herself, 'he's a colleague.'

She pulled her towel off her head, gave her hair a quick rub and brush, and went to check the post before she dried it.

There was a quite a lot lying on the mat. Phone bill, electricity bill, rent bill… and an A4 envelope she didn't recognise. Her name and address was scrawled across the front in a handwriting she recognised, if somewhat shaky. Her mother perhaps? Or maybe her brother. She slid her finger in the opening and ripped it open. She tipped it up and let the contents slide out.

Her heart froze. Her eyes widened and her hands shook as she looked at the two photographs in front of her. The first was of her body, lying unconscious on the ground; the second was a close-up of her tear-streaked face. Jess tried to choke back tears. She grabbed her phone and dialled the first number she could think of.

"D… Danny? It's Jess." her voice shook, "Could you come over here, quick?"

She listened to his reply and hung up. She backed against the wall and slid down it into a sitting position, staring fearfully at the photographs lying on the floor.


	8. The Right Track

**A/N:** YAY! After 3 weeks of silence she updates! Even added a chapter to the story over the break... it just keeps going...

As always, enjoy! C x_

* * *

_

31 hours missing

"At least we're on the right track," Martin said helpfully.

"Yeah, but what track is it?" Danny asked.

Jess rubbed her fingers over the bridge of her nose and across her cheeks, resting her faced on her cupped palms and massaging her temples. She looked up, "Are we sure this is about me? I mean, is the kidnapper or kidnappers trying to get to me?"

"Well, whoever it is, they know you're connected to her," Jack tapped his pen on the desk, "They know you're relatively close. They know that someone like the Ambassador can't be seen to bow to pressure, and perhaps they figure that you'll cough up whatever it is they want first."

"And they've been in your personal files," Sam laid a sheet of paper in front of Jack, who scanned and passed it to Jess. Sam tapped her pen against the flat of her hand, "Whoever had Agent Clarke's pass accessed your files before they accessed Lizzy's. They may have been looking for you. Lizzy could just be bait."

"But how am I connected to those photos?" Jess looked at the page, her head in her hands.

Viv put down the telephone, "Forensics say there are no fingerprints on the photos or the envelope except for Jess's, Danny's and Lizzy's."

"It's her handwriting on the envelope, isn't it?" Jess asked.

Viv nodded, "According to forensics, she was shaking a lot when she wrote it."

"Yeah," Jess replied quietly.

"So… what? We can't trace it?" Martin asked.

"It's your standard mail office envelope and ballpoint pen." Viv replied.

"No DNA on the seal?"

"Good old H²O." Viv replied, "This guy was smart."

"Assuming it was a guy." Jess said.

"Excuse me, Agent Malone?" a young blonde interrupted, "This arrived at the front desk a few minutes ago." She handed Jack an envelope, looked up at Danny and smiled shyly.

Jess looked at Danny who was smiling back at the blonde. 'Good thing I didn't get my hopes up.' she thought.

"It's addressed to you," Jack turned the envelope to face her. It was the same shaky handwriting.

Jess took a sharp breath. She swallowed hard before saying, "You open it."

Jack slid his finger under the seal and ripped it open. He tipped the contents out onto the desk. Two more photographs fluttered down. Jack looked at them, "It's not her."

"What?" Jess stood and joined the team on the other side of the table. Jack lifted the photos and stuck them on the Whiteboard.

The team studied them.

"Nope… nothing." Danny sat on the edge of the desk.

Martin and Vivian both did the same thing. "Don't know her." Viv said.

"I do…" Sam stepped closer, "I know her."

"Can't place the name?" Jess asked.

"Yeah…"

"Right, Martin, Viv, find out who this girl is." Jack turned around, "Sam and I will go to the school. See if she's a friend maybe. Jess, I suggest you go home."

"Jack, I-"

"No arguments. Whoever is doing this is aiming at you. You'll be safe at home; Danny will go with you."

"I need to be here."

"You need to take care of yourself." Jack replied more firmly, "There's nothing you can do right now."

Danny stood behind Jack and shook his head, telling her not to argue. She relented, "Fine, but keep me up-to-date."


	9. Something Stronger

**A/N**: Update!

lol!

enjoy... x

* * *

Jess dumped her jacket on the breakfast bar as she flicked on the kettle. "Coffee, tea?" she asked, "Something stronger?"

"Coffee is fine," Danny replied as he leant on the granite worktop and looked at the clock on the wall. 23:06. He sighed; this was becoming a long one.

"Yeah, right." Jess lifted two mugs out of the cupboard above her head.

Danny watched her open the fridge which was filled with take-away boxes; a sure sign of a single workaholic. His eyes followed her as she moved around the kitchen. Her movements were slow and heavy, her young body wearied by a pain beyond her years.

"Jess," Danny said softly, "Don't beat yourself up about this."

Jess stopped and leant against the counter, her back to him. After a few seconds of silence she spoke, her voice so low he had to move closer to her to hear her, "What am I supposed to do Danny? It was my job to protect her and I failed."

"No, you didn't," Danny replied, "Someone else did."

"No, Danny," Jess replied, "I did. I failed to protect her and I'm going to fail to find her."

"We'll find her," Danny placed his hands on her shoulders, "I promise."

"But will we find her alive." Jess's words silenced him.

He shut his eyes and sighed, trying to calm his emotions. Jess's shoulders began to shake under his touch and he realised that she was crying. "Hey," Danny turned her to face him and pulled her into a tight hug, "hey…"

He stroked her hair and held her close until her tears subsided. Her nose nuzzled into his neck and her warm breath ran across it. She moved her head up slightly and he moved his down to look at her. Her lips slipped perfectly into his and he let her lead him. Her lips were wet and salty from the tears that still caressed her cheeks. Her kiss deepened with urgency as she clung to him, like her only lifeline to reality and sanity, and he pulled her closer, her hips pushing into his.

"Jess," he murmured.

She pulled back from him quickly and looked up at him, fear on her face. "I'm sorry," she stammered, "I don't know what I was thinking. Just, um, sort that out… I'll be right back." She pushed past him and rushed to her room.

* * *

Jess closed the door behind her and leant her back against it. "Shit!" she muttered to herself, "What the fuck were you thinking?"

She placed her head in her hands and let out a long, deep breath. She took a quick look in the mirror and, taking a deep breath, pulled the door open.

Danny watched her slam the door behind her. "Dammit," he berated himself quietly. He shouldn't have said anything. Maybe then she'd still be in front of him, kissing him.

He shouldn't have taken advantage of her in her weakened state, but he wasn't going to say that he didn't enjoy it. When her lips met his he felt warmth deep inside; his body wanted her and her body pushing into his, letting him know how much she wanted him, had made his heart jump.

But they had to work together in this case and he couldn't let his feelings cloud his judgement. He turned to the kettle and made two mugs of coffee.

He heard the bedroom door open and he turned, holding out a mug to her.

"Thanks," she murmured quietly.

"No problem," he replied just as quietly.

Five minutes turned into 15, which turned into 30. Finally Danny couldn't take the silence anymore, "Jess, about that kiss."

"I'd rather not Danny."

"I just… I'm sorry for taking advantage."

"What?" Jess looked at him.

"You're obviously not yourself and I took advantage of that."

"Danny, I kissed you. And knew exactly what I was doing; I wanted to. You didn't take advantage."

"Then why-"

"Danny, I really don't feel up to talking about this right now. Do you mind if I go to bed for a bit?"

"No, go ahead." For the second time in an hour he watched her walk to her bedroom… without him.

* * *

Danny woken with a start as his cell buzzed in his ear. He looked around blearily, trying to register where he was. He wasn't at home, that was for sure. It took him a few more seconds to realise that he'd fallen asleep on Jess's couch.

He pulled his cell out of his suit jacket, "Taylor."

"Danny? It's Sam," the blonde's honey tones woke the rest of his body gently.

"Sam, hey," Danny sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "What's up?"

Sam sighed, "We're hitting dead-ends here. We need you and Jess to go to her office and see if any mail has been left there for her."

"No problem." Danny flicked his cellphone closed. He got up and went to the bedroom door. He knocked gently, "Jess?" He slowly opened the door and looked in.

Jess was tangled in her sheets, her dark hair lying loose on the pillow framing her face. He looked down at her flushed cheeks, her lost, frightened expression and his heart went to her.

"Jess," he shook her gently, "Jess, we need to go."

Jess shifted slightly, "Yeah, yeah I'm up."

Danny walked back out to the kitchen and looked around. The apartment was immaculately tidy, except her bedroom which looked like a bomb had hit it firing clothes and products off in 50 different directions. Jess was obviously the kind of person who came in from work, cleaned, probably worked some more and went to bed. No social life. Hiding from something. Danny had seen it before; he saw it him.

He considered inviting her for a drink when the case was finished but then realised that it probably wasn't a good idea.

"Hey," Jess stood, leaning against the door frame watching him, "You okay?"

"Yeah," Danny smiled, "You ready?"

"Yes," Jess lifted her coat, "Where are we going?"

"Your office," he replied, "See if there's any-"

"Post…" her words cut him off."

"Mail, yeah," he looked at her. She had stopped dead and was staring at the door. He peered round her and then he saw it. Lying on the welcome mat. An A4 envelope. Same shaky handwriting.

Danny pulled her back and pushed her down onto the sofa. He pulled out his cell and dialled. "Sam? It's Danny," he stared at the envelope like it was bomb about to explode, "We've got another one. No… we're still in the apartment. No, I fell asleep. Yeah, I know. Yeah, yeah, tell him he can yell at me when I get back. Yeah, okay. Does he still want us to swing by her office? Okay." He flipped his cell closed and turned to look at her.

She was still staring at the envelope.

"Jess?" Danny tried to get a view of her face.

"Yeah," her voice cracked slightly.

"Look, have you got something I can put it in."

"Um…. Yeah," Jess looked up at him, "I have some Clingfilm in here." She got up and pulled a drawer open in the kitchen. She lifted out plastic wrap and handed it to him. She stood well back as he wrapped it over the envelope, careful not to touch the sides.

"Right, let's go," Danny pulled the door open but stopped and turned back to her, finding her inches from him, "Are you okay?"

Jess closed her eyes for a minute and swallowed, "No, but can we just go?"

* * *


	10. Eight

_40 hours missing_

Jess chewed on her thumbnail and stared at the floor. Her mind was racing. She dreaded seeing what was in those envelopes. She could almost feel them on the table next to her. All six of them. Six. Five at her office. Left there for her viewing pleasure… her viewing agony.

Jack looked at her and then at Viv, who raised an eyebrow. All of the Missing Persons Unit were just as afraid to look at its contents.

"This makes eight," Martin was the first to break the silence, unable to sit there much longer.

"I…" Sam started to speak but couldn't find the words.

Danny's eyes were solely on Jess. He desperately wanted to reach out to her, to comfort her and let her know she wasn't alone.

Jess dropped her arm and taking a deep breath, grabbed the top envelope.

"Are you sure you want to open that?" Vivian asked.

Jess ripped it open, "Too late to turn back." She tipped the contents onto the table and felt the bile rise to her throat as she looked down. She placed her hand over her mouth, trying to stop herself retching.

It was then that Danny placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezed it and leant forward, picking up an envelope. The rest of the team followed suit. Soon there were 12 photographs joining the previous four on the board.

* * *

Jack shook his head, "Right, we need to run these. And quickly. We need to know who these girls are. And who connects them. People, places, times."

Vivian pulled the new photos off the board, "I'm on it."

"Jack…" Sam's voice caught in her throat. The team turned to look at her. She had backed away from the board, her face ghostly white.

"Samantha?" Martin moved towards her, "What is it?"

"I know them, I know this case," she whispered.

"How?" Jack demanded.

"I know her," Sam took a photograph out of Vivian's hands, a young blonde girl, and ran a finger along it.

"Sam," Viv looked at her. Soft, slow tears made mascara-smudged tracks down her cheeks. "Sam," Viv repeated, "Who is she?"

"She…" the team strained to hear her voice, "She was my sister."

* * *

"Tell me everything," Viv sat in front of the blonde, holding her hand. The rest of the team sat behind her.

Sam took a deep breath. She prepared to lift the veil on her life and let those around take a peek at it.

"All those girls; what they have in common is their age. They were all thirteen, when they…" her words stuck in her throat and she took a deep breath. "When Jules was thirteen, she disappeared. When the police found her five days later she was dead. She'd been…" tears fell unchecked down her cheeks and her wracked breathing became sobs, "she'd been tortured and raped. They all were; tortured, raped and murdered. I was sixteen. She was the first of a long line of girls. It's a case that's been on-going for nearly fifteen years."

The team sat in shocked silence. No-one knew what to say. Sam's sobs began to subside.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be." Vivian wrapped her arms around the young woman, "Its okay, everything's going to be okay."

She looked up at Jack who shook his head. Martin sunk slowly into a chair, watching the usually strong blonde break down. Danny and Jess stood behind the team, watching them. Jess ran a hand across her face, drying her eyes and slipped her hand into Danny's. He squeezed it, never taking his eyes off Sam.

Her heart was pouring out. Her previous life, the life she'd tried to hide, was being revealed and her current life was falling apart.

* * *


	11. Hidden Histories, Hidden Weaknesses

**A/N:** You guys thought there was an unexpected twist in the previous chapter... wait until you read this...

* * *

The team sat in shocked silence. Only Sam's hard breathing broke it.

"Jack…" Vivian was the first to speak up, "This doesn't make sense. All these girls… it doesn't fit."

"Viv?" Jack shook his head, trying to understand her train of thought.

"Those girls; they're all thirteen. Lizzy doesn't fit the age bracket. She's too old. I'm not sure this is about her."

Jack looked at Jess, who was staring intently at the desk, "Martin, I want you to pull up everything you can on the…" Jack glanced at Sam, "… the Spade case, and any related cases. We need to find the common factors. Viv, if it comes to it, you and I may need to speak to the families of these girls."

Vivian nodded, rubbing Samantha's arm for comfort.

"Danny," he looked at the young agent, turning a blind eye to the fact he was holding Jess's hand, "You need to contact the NYPD. See if there have been any attempted kidnappings of teenage girls, between the ages of 11 and 13."

Danny tilted his head in response and squeezed Jess's hand gently before moving off to get on the phone.

"What can I do?" Jess stood up.

Jack looked at her in surprise. If he was in her position, he'd be broken; frantic with worry. But looking at her, he saw a strength that he'd only ever seen in three others; Sam, Viv and Maria. Three women, capable of more than any could imagine. Jess wasn't in the mindset of having lost a friend; she was in the role of an agent. But he still couldn't let her too far into the case.

His eyes flitted to Sam's despondent form. He looked back at Jess, "Take care of Sam for a while; just until we get some more information to go on."

Jess watched him walk away and rested a hand on the blonde's shoulder, "Sam, do you want a coffee?"

Sam nodded in response.

"Okay," Jess crouched down beside her and looked up into her tear-streaked face, "How about you get yourself cleaned up and I'll get us some coffee, and we can have a couple of minutes to ourselves."

* * *

Jess stood in the office coffee room, trying to catch her breath. Tears rolled softly down her cheeks as her quiet sobs subsided.

"Jess?" Danny stood in the doorway, "You okay?"

She kept her back to him and hastily wiped at her eyes. Plastering a smile on her face, she turned to look at him, "I'm fine, everything's good."

"Jess…" he knew she was lying. He knew the thoughts that were running through her head. That her charge was potentially in the hands of a rapist, a paedophile, a murderer. "We'll find her," he placed his hands on her shoulders, "I promise."

Jess looked up at him, her eyes welling up again, "You can't promise that, you can't promise anything. No-one can help her."

"We can, I can-"

"No, you can't!" she almost screamed at him, "You can't understand, no-one can ever understand."

Danny looked at her, his brow furrowed in confusion, "Jess, what… what can't I understand? Are we still talking about Lizzy here?"

"I…" Jess looked away from him. More tears fell. She took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes. She knew she could trust him, with her one of her darkest secret. "Danny, there's something you need to know."

He massaged her shoulders as he looked down at her, "Tell me."

"I don't-"

"Guys!" she was cut off by Martin's voice. He peeked his head around the doorframe, "I think you need to see this."

They followed him out to the bullpen and saw it. Another envelope, sitting in the middle of the table, with the same handwriting.

"I thought you said she was the first," Jack said to Sam as she came back from the bathroom.

Sam looked at him from where she was standing, "She was."

"Then how…" Jack started.

"I don't know…" Sam said, staring at the envelope and shaking her head in confusion.

"Jack," Vivian said warningly as he opened his mouth.

"Sam," Jess spoke so quietly they almost didn't hear her, "how long ago did you say it happened?"

"15 years."

Jess lifted a hand to her mouth and sank into a chair.

"Jess?" Danny reached for her, "What is it?"

She looked up at him, through watery eyes and whispered out, "It's what I was trying to tell you. I know now how this is about me."

"Jessica?" Jack moved into her line of vision, "What or who is in that envelope?"

"See for yourself."

Jack reached for the envelope and slid his finger into the gap, ripping it open. He tipped it up and let the photographs flutter onto the table. They landed upside down. He reached out slowly and turned them over. The images were of another young girl, no more than fourteen, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. Blue eyes that were unmistakably familiar.

"Me."

* * *


	12. Behind Blue Eyes

**A/N: **hehe... yet another twist... although I'm probably just confirming what you already suspect...

Enjoy!

Cate x

_

* * *

41 hours missing_

_And no one knows  
What it's like to be hated  
To be fated to telling only lies¹_

Jess leant down heavily on the sink and tried to rinse the taste of sick from her mouth. Looking up at her reflection, she saw those same blue eyes. The ones that had stared up at the FBI's missing persons unit. The ones that had red rings around them from where she had been crying; partly from the pain of throwing up, but mostly from the memories that she'd buried long ago.

_But my dreams they aren't as empty  
As my conscience seems to be  
I have hours, only lonely  
My love is vengeance  
That's never free¹_

But it wasn't just those memories that were causing her to retch the lining of her stomach into the toilet. It was something she was going to need to tell them; just thinking about it made her sick, and would do the same to them.

"Jess?" Sam's voice echoed through the tiled bathroom.

"Yeah…" came her reply.

Sam rubbed her back, "Are you…?" She didn't know what to say. Obviously Jessica wasn't 'okay', she was, as it turned out, one of the victims.

"I'm…" Jess didn't know how to reply, "I need to tell you guys something."

"Are you sure you're up to it?"

"I have to be. I need to tell you."

"Okay."

* * *

_No one knows what its like  
To feel these feelings  
Like i do, and i blame you!  
No one bites back as hard  
On their anger  
None of my pain and woe  
Can show through¹_

"You've all guessed why I'm in those photos." Jess said on one side of the desk, the team on the other, "When I was thirteen, I was kidnapped, tortured and…" Her voice caught in her throat, as she tried to bring herself to say the words she had been denying for nearly 17 years. She took a deep breath, "… raped. Repeatedly. I was just the latest in a long line of young girls up and down England. But what makes me different… is that I managed to escape. His name is Thomas Mulvane. This… man… is so sick that he lets the girls go. He lets them run just far enough before he catches them again. But I got away. He didn't count on our hideout.

My brother and I had a hideout. It was our little getaway. I went there. I was there almost a day before my brother found me. I'm the only one to have escaped."

She bit her lip and glanced through watery eyes at Danny. She knew that once he heard this, he could never feel for her they she felt. He would be repulsed by her. She took a deep breath, "But it doesn't finish there. He disappeared. The police never found him. And three months later I found out that I was pregnant. With his child. I'd never even had a boyfriend, and now I was pregnant with a rapist's child at thirteen years old."

_No one knows what its like  
To be mistreated, to be defeated  
Behind blue eyes  
No one knows how to say  
That they're sorry and don't worry  
I'm not telling lies¹_

Tears slipped softly down her cheeks as she faced the part of her life she had long suppressed.

"My parents… they're deeply religious Catholics… they wouldn't let me have an abortion. So I had the baby. And I gave her to my aunt and uncle, who couldn't conceive. My aunt had had cervical cancer and had to have a hysterectomy before she could have children. It was the cancer that finally got her. I knew they'd take care of her; that she'd have a good, happy life with them. You see, what many people don't know is that my uncle works for the British Government. He's the British Ambassador to the United States."

She waited to see which one worked it out first.

It was Jack. It was little wonder he was the head of the team. She heard a sharp intake of breath from him as realisation dawned. He looked at her, "Are you saying…?"

Jess nodded, "Lizzy is my daughter."

"But…" Viv's hand flew to her mouth as her stomach churned.

Jess nodded a silent reply.

Sam rubbed the wet lines on her cheeks. She took a deep breath, stood and straightened her blouse. "We need to find this bastard," she said quietly, "and quickly."

She walked around the desk and sat in front of Jess, taking her hands, "Jess, I need you to tell me everything you remember from your… ordeal."

Jess looked at the blonde; the woman who, little over two hours early, poured her heart and her tears out and yet sat in front of her now like nothing had happened. "How can you be so calm?"

Sam pushed Jess's mahogany-coloured hair over her ears and looked into her eyes, "Because I have to. Because no-one else is. Because if one of us isn't, we won't find her in time." She took her hand again, "Tell me."

_But my dreams they aren't as empty  
As my conscience seems to be  
I have hours, only lonely  
My love is vengeance  
That's never free¹_

* * *

¹Lyrics from Limp Bizkit, 'Behind Blue Eyes'.


	13. The Haystack

**A/N:** just... enjoy... Cate x

_

* * *

_

48 hours missing

"How do you keep so cool?"

"It's my job."

"Yeah… but still… by now I'd have completely lost it."

"Someone needs to keep it together. If we all fell apart no-one would get found."

"It's just so hard, Jack, knowing that she's out there, with some… sicko. I can't keep doing this."

"You have to, Jess. Without you, we might never save her.

"I'm no hero, Jack. I can't save her… I can't even save myself. If this was one of your girls… could you be so cool?" she looked at him and then looked at her hands.

"I'd take myself out of the investigation."

"Jack…"

"Yeah, you're right; that would never happen."

"I'm no hero, Jack."

"You think that now. But you will be, I promise."

Jack sat beside her on his office sofa and took her hand, "I promise."

* * *

"Jack, this is like looking for a needle in a haystack." Martin threw the sheets of paper on the desk, "They could be anywhere. New York is a huge city; with way too many warehouses."

Jack rubbed his face and leant forward.

"Short of searching every warehouse-"

"If it comes to it, then that's what we'll do." Jack cut him short, "Needle in a haystack… she's the needle… maybe it's time we stop looking for the needle and find the haystack."

"And what if they aren't in the city," Danny chimed in, "What if he's taken her into the outer suburbs."

"He won't," Jess replied, "He likes to keep them close to their homes… it's another torture method; so close and yet so far. And, as you said, New York is a huge city; people can 'disappear' if they want to."

"Hating this guy more and more…" Martin murmured.

"Jack, just because I was kept in a warehouse, doesn't necessarily mean Lizzy will be." Jess stood up, "They could be anywhere; a boathouse, a flat, the subway… if there was a basement in the Embassy he'd probably have taken her there!" She leant back against the desk and rubbed her temples.

"Is there?" Vivian asked.

"No, the basement in the Embassy is MI5s base."

"Okay, the kidnapper; so we know it's not the janitor," Jack looked at her, "You're sure?"

"I'm positive; that's not our guy."

"So where is he?" Viv leant back against the desk, her arms folded.

Jess looked up at Ernie's photograph, pinned to the board next to Lizzy's. She lifted the notes from the interview and scanned them. "Jack," she said very quietly, her eyes still skimming the page, "What if he never left?"

"What?"

"The school's Principal said that he clocked out at seven, but no-one saw it," Jess looked at the agent, "What if he never left?"

"But you were sure that he isn't the kidnapper." Jack tried to understand what the British agent was getting at.

"Yeah… but maybe he didn't sign himself out. Maybe someone else did. Or maybe he did and just before he left, he was stopped."

"I still don't understand."

"Jack…" she leant over the desk, "is there a basement in Kennedy High School?"

* * *


	14. Jurisdiction

_

* * *

_

_51 hours missing_

"Okay, we need at least four agents on every possible exit," Jack stood in front of a large assembled team of FBI agent, "My team and I will enter the building and-"

"Agent Malone," a voice cut him off.

"Oh, for fu-" he muttered before turning to face the approaching man, "Agent Bains, how can I help you."

"You can move out of my way."

"Excuse me?"

"This case has become mine," the man smirked, "It's under homeland security jurisdiction."

"Under who's authority?"

"Mine."

"I should have known," Jack muttered to himself and looked at him, "Hello _Assistant_ Director Fitzgerald."

"Hello Jack," he smiled at him.

"Right… well now we've got the niceties out of the way; what?"

"Sorry Jack, but this is a delicate diplomatic situation and as such is within the juris-"

"With all due respect, sir, don't give me that juris-my dick-tion shit," Jack growled, "This is my case and it's almost closed."

"It's been reassigned."

"Bullshit!"

"Malone?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I don't care… I've had it with you getting involved and screwing us over!"

"Right, Malone, you're out. Go back to the office and wait for me there."

"What am I; five?"

"Malone…" the assistant director warned him.

"Agent Malone?" Jess interrupted.

"Sir, perhaps you'd like to explain the situation to Agent Simmons, of MI5 and Lizzy's bodyguard team."

"What's going on?" Jess looked from agent to agent.

"Miss Simmons-"

"_Agent_ Simmons."

"Agent Simmons," he narrowed his eyes, "The case has been reassigned to Homeland Security as it comes under their jurisdiction."

"Actually, it doesn't," Jess pulled sheaves of paper from her jacket, "It comes under the jurisdiction of the British Secret Service. Elizabeth is a subject of her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second, a citizen of Great Britain and as such is under the protection of MI5. _I_ have requested the assistance of one FBI Missing Persons Unit, headed by Agent Jack Malone. So as you can see, this team is fully within it's right to run this operation."

He ran her eyes across the page and replied, grudgingly, "Everything seems to be in order. Malone, you can go ahead."

"Thank you." Jack replied.

He folded her arms and stayed where he was. Jess glanced at Jack and turned to him, "You can leave now."

"Agent Simmons," he glared at her, "do you even know who I am?"

"You assume I care."

"I'm the assistant director of the FBI."

Jess equalled his glare, "I'm this girl's bodyguard… and her natural born mother. I know who you are, and I can only assume that if that was Martin in there you'd be exactly the same."

Assistant Director Fitzgerald looked at her and smiled a little. He turned to Jack, "Agent Malone, I think we're going to need a meeting when this is all over."

* * *

Jack waited until he left before turning to Jess, "And _that_ was me losing my cool. But thank you."

"No worries," she shrugged. They walked towards the rest of the team, "Jack, I know that I'm too close to the situation to lead it, which is why I let you go ahead."

Jack raised his eyebrows, "You're a lot smarter than most agents your age."

"Why do you think I have the job I do?" she smiled.

"Are we going in yet?" Martin slid his gun into its holder.

"Well, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted," Jack slipped back into agent mode, "We're going in; just our team. The others are staying outside."

"Jack, I think I should go in first." Jess folded her arms.

"What?"

"It's me he wants. We'll have more chance of getting Lizzy out safely if I go in alone."

"No, I'm not putting you in unnecessary danger."

"I get it. It's an American thing; you have to go in all guns blazing. But I know this guy. He'll have no problem with taking her life."

"Jess, I don't think that it's a good idea."

"Jack… trust me… please; I'm not trying to be a hero."

"You think you're not… but a part of you will be," he studied her for a moment and then shook his head, sighing, "Fine. But get a wire on yourself."

* * *


	15. One Missing Janitor

**A/N:** This is quite short so I apologise for that... getting near the end kids! C x

* * *

Jess pulled her gun from its holder and carefully opened the door to the basement. She peered round the edge. Darkness greeted her. She took one more look at the team before slipping through the gap and pulling the door closed behind her.

She pulled her torch from her pocket and rest one wrist over the other; one hand pointing her gun forward, the other shining the torch.

She crept slowly down the stone steps and onto the cement floor below. The corridor split in two directions.

"Shit… left or right, left or right."

The sound of something hitting the ground to her right made her jump. "Right it is then." She followed the dark corridor, uncovered pipes gurgling overhead as water flowed through them. A large black object lay on the floor. As she neared it, she could see something smaller moving around it.

"Jesus!" she whispered, as she realised that the moving object was in fact a rat. She shone her light directly at it. It stopped and looked at her, its black eyes glowing against the torch light, before scurrying away.

Cautiously she approached the object, and bent down, touching it lightly; it was body. She rolled it over to look at its face. "One missing janitor…" she told herself.

A movement at the other end of the corridor caught her attention. She turned to hear a door slam. Jumping up, she took a defensive stance, preparing for an attack. She reached the other end and the first door. Wrenching it open, she shone her light inside. A broom cupboard… empty.

She slipped along to the next door, taking care to press herself against the wall. Slowly she opened the door and shone the light inside. She was about to leave when he spoke.

"Hey there sweet cheeks…"

* * *


	16. The Needle

* * *

"Hey there, sweet cheeks…"

The haunting voice of her childhood tormentor sent shivers through her body and bile rise to her throat. She took a breath and steadied herself. "Feeling a little under the weather, darlin'?" he asked.

"Where are you?" Jess called, flicking the light across the room, highlighting boxes but no kidnapper, and certainly no Lizzy, "Show yourself."

He stepped into the light, his hands raised. Exactly like she remembered, only a few wrinkles showing the passage of time. Those same dark, almost black, eyes. Those eyes she associated with pure evil.

She raised her gun, "Where is she?"

Mulvane tutted and shook his head, "I wouldn't point that at me. I get… nervous around guns. I might do something… stupid." It was then the lighted glinted off the blade in his hand.

"Put the knife down and tell me where she is."

"What's it worth?"

"Don't fuck with me, Mulvane…"

"No!" he reached behind a box and pulled her whimpering form out in front of his own body, using her as a shield, "Don't _you_ fuck with _me_!" He put the blade to Lizzy's throat, who gasped and sobbed.

"Okay…" Jess raised her own hands, "okay… just don't hurt her."

"Drop the gun, the cuffs, and the torch and slid them to me." She followed his order. The torch went out. "Jacket… off."

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

She did as he said.

"Turn around."

"What?"

"Turn around, so I know you don't have another weapon."

She did that too.

"Good… now, move." Mulvane moved between her and the door, as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. "Sit!" She did as he asked and throwing Lizzy at her, he picked up the gun and aimed it.

She grabbed the 15-year-old and pulled her to her. "I'm so sorry…" Lizzy sobbed, "I didn't know…"

"Shush…" Jess stroked her head, "It's okay."

He watched them calmly, "Jessica, Jessica, Jessica, how long has it been?" he looked at her, at Lizzy and smirked, "Almost… sixteen years, I think." He bent down in front of her, "You always were my favourite…" he ran a finger over her cheek and she pulled away repulsed. "…the one that got away."

He stood and walked across the room, "But, of course, I could never let that go. No-one gets away." He turned and looked at her, "Imagine my surprise when I discovered you had moved to right here… in good old NYC. Right under my nose this whole time. So… I asked myself… what should I do?"

He lifted her handcuffs, "And it just came to me… in the night. It's time to finish what I started."

He moved menacingly towards her.

"No!" Lizzy cried out and threw herself at him. He easily slapped her back to the ground.

"Lizzy!" Jess reached for her. Mulvane grabbed her wrist and dragged her up, attempting to snap the handcuffs onto her.

Jess pulled back, his arm extending towards her. She swung underneath and brought his arm up behind his back, twisting it. She pulled the handcuffs from his hand and, snapping them around his wrist, pushed him against the wall.

"Thomas Mulvane, you are under arrest for the illegal kidnapping of one Elizabeth Stewart two days ago, and-"

"Oh come on, Jessica," he cut her off, sneering, "We both know that's not her name. Not her birthright."

"… and the rape and murder of no less than nine American girls. You will be extradited to the United Kingdom to the face trial for the rape and murder of British teenagers. You do not have to say anything but anything you do say can and will be used as evidence-"

"You can't hide forever Jessica…"

"…in a court of law." She pulled his other arm down to meet his right, "You don't know anything about me; don't assume you do."

"I know your secrets…" he whispered. His head snapped back suddenly, connecting with the bridge of her nose. She stumbled backwards, temporarily blinded. "I know all the skeletons in your closet!" he yelled at her, "Shall we air them?"

* * *


	17. In The Arms Of The Angel

* * *

Jess righted herself and let her focus come back.

"Hmmm where to I start?" Mulvane sneered at her, "Your childhood… the beginning… the teenage years… but maybe we should leave the best for last." He held the gun to her temple, "But I know it all… why you left England… why you just packed and left… why you won't let anyone in." He walked behind her and smelled her hair, murmuring into her ear, "Why you're all alone. You see Jess, I made it my business to learn everything about you. Those files, the car, the prickly feeling you got on the back of your neck every time you were in public… it was me." He grabbed her suddenly and pushed her into the wall, his free hand gripping her throat, "I've waited, watching you. Now I'm going to finish the job."

She spotted the pipe from the corner of her eye; right beside her head. If she could move fast enough… as though from nowhere, Lizzy appeared beside him and, grabbing the end dangling from his wrist, snapped the cuffs around the pipe.

Mulvane roared in anger and swung round pointing the gun toward her.

Everything happened at once.

Jess lunged for Lizzy, trying to shield her from him

The door burst open

Mulvane swung round

Voices yelled

Orders to drop weapons

Mulvane aimed, pulled the trigger and hit…

…nothing.

"What the fuck!" Mulvane looked at the gun.

Jess looked at him, "Blanks, dickhead."

Mulvane went for her, but didn't get far.

Then the world, like her heart, slowed.

_Spend all your time waiting_

_For that second chance_

_For a break that would make it okay¹_

Martin and Jack tackled Mulvane and took the gun from his hands.

Sam came to her, ran a soothing hand across Jess's head and, reaching into her jacket, took her handcuff keys.

_There's always some reason_

_To feel not good enough_

_And it's hard at the end of the day¹_

Vivian wrapped a blanket around Lizzy's shoulders and lifted her to her feet. Lizzy looked back at Jess, silently asking what to do.

Jess felt herself nod and heard her voice say, "Its okay, Liz, go with her. You're safe now."

Still she remained seated, her legs unable to move. He lifted her and held her to him as her tears erupted.

_In the arms of the angel_

_Fly away from here_

_From this dark, cold room_

_And the endlessness that you fear¹_

Years of fear and pain were released and she knew then that she would finally be safe. He helped her out of the room and up the stairs. She walked out into the light of the May sun and felt a release. A weight was lifted from her shoulders and she stood up tall.

_You are pulled from the wreckage_

_Of your silent reveries_

_You're in the arms of the angel_

_May you find some comfort here¹_

"You think this is over Jessica?" Mulvane called to her as he was taken to a police car, "It hasn't even begun. I'm coming back for you."

Jess ignored his taunts.

"And you know what else? It was good."

Jess lost her cool and lunged towards him. She calmed herself in time and stood nose to nose with him. "Take a good look around, Mulvane. Take a deep breath… she smiled sweetly at him, "For it's the last time you'll ever see, ever taste freedom, or breathe the free air. I promise you that."

Danny placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her away. They watched Mulvane be pushed down into the car. The door closed and he peered out the window at her. He blew a kiss at her as the car pulled away.

Danny squeezed her hand and looked at her for reassurance that she was okay. She smiled, nodded and walked towards Lizzy, who was being held close by her father. She looked up at Jess and smiled, tears glistening in her eyes.

They hugged, and Jess stroked her daughter's hair, "You're safe now… I will never ever let anything happen to you again. I'm so sorry."

Lizzy looked up at her, "I love you."

Jess smiled, "I love you too." She looked at the Ambassador, who returned her smile and joined the embrace.

* * *

¹Sarah McLachlan - Angel 


	18. Target

* * *

Martin stood in the break room, stirring two coffee cups. He smiled to himself. The case was finally over and Lizzy was home. It was going to be a difficult trial and, at some point before taking the stand, Jess would have to tell Lizzy of her real parentage, but for now she could breathe easy. Danny had left her to her apartment to grab a shower and cook a meal for the team.

He strolled into the bullpen and did a double-take. Far from the relaxed, peaceful atmosphere he had left, agents were rushing from left to right. Sam poured over a computer screen and Jack was yelling into the phone.

He put the coffee down and grabbed Vivian's arm as she walked past, "Viv, what's going on?"

"Mulvane escaped custody about an hour ago."

"What?" Martin nearly dropped his coffee. He scanned the room for her. "Where is she now? Is Danny with her?" he demanded.

They looked around at each other in panic. "He called me five minutes ago. He'd just left her home and went to some wine." Sam said.

They looked at Jack for guidance. He pursed his lips, "Find her; she's probably his next target." Sam was already out the door.

* * *

Jess tasted the sauce. "Hmmm…." She considered it for a minute before adding more pepper. She reached over and flicked the radio on, allowing the music to blast into her kitchen. She pulled a face as she recognised the southern tones of Britney Spears and tuned to something a little more her style; 3 Doors Down.

A sharp knock at the door didn't disturb her shimmying across the kitchen, and she simply yelled out for him to come in as she reached for another wooden spoon.

"What took so long?" she asked as she heard him enter. One hand wrapped around her waist on settled on her stomach. "You wanna taste?" She scooped up some sauce with her spoon. His hand snaked over her shoulder to take the spoon from her; his white hand. She dropped the spoon and gasped as he twisted her to face him.

"Hey there sweetie pie." She felt the bile rise in her throat as he roughly pressed his lips against her own, and she pushed him away.

"Get the fuck away from me." She growled.

"Now that's no way to treat… an old flame." He swung at her, and she ducked bringing her knee up sharply into his stomach. He dropped to his hands and knees, and spluttered.

Jess took the opportunity to run for the door, but he grabbed her ankle and she tripped to the floor, smashing her head against the wooden floor. Her eyes lost focus and she felt the warm trickle of blood running down her temple. The last thing she saw was him standing over her as her world went dark.

* * *

"Come on, come on pick up." Sam sat beside Martin as he sped into Brooklyn, "Dammit Danny, answer your phone!"

She snapped her own shut and started to tap her foot.

"Calm down," Martin said soothingly, "It'll be okay. I'm sure she'll be fine. She's a pretty strong girl."

"You're sure she'll be okay, huh?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then why you pushing 90?"

Martin looked at his speedometer which read 87 mph, "Okay so maybe I'm not exactly sure." He looked at her and leant down on the gas.

* * *

Danny opened his car door just as the phone cut out. He looked at the caller id. Sam. He'd ring her back when he got into Jess's.

The door was slightly open when he got there. Normally his instincts would cause him to grab his gun from its holster, but the sound of Keane floating into the open air made him relax.

He opened it and called out to her, "Hey Jess! I brought some red and some white; didn't know what you'd be cooking!"

He dropped his jacket on the sofa and walked into the kitchen. The sauce was bubbling over. "Shit!" he rushed forward and pulled it off the ring. He turned the radio off and looked around the apartment. Her jacket and bag were on the table.

The bathroom was empty, and her bedroom door lay slightly ajar. He knocked lightly and waited; no answer. He opened it further and poked his head round. She was lying on the bed, the covers pulled up to her waist. She was obviously exhausted by the last three days.

He moved towards her to pull the covers further over her, when he noticed something out of place. Her cheeks were stained with black streaks. It was then he realised that her hands were bound and tape covered her mouth. He rushed to her side and shook her, "Jess! Jess! Wake up!"

She twitched as her body woke.

He slapped her and she woke fully. Her serene sleeping expression changed to a panic frightened one. He ripped the tape from her mouth and she spat out tissue, crying out.

"Jess, what happened?" Danny untied her hands, "Where is he? Did he…?"

"No… he didn't get a chance to." Jess grabbed his arm and whispered low, "Danny, he's still here."

"What?" he looked around and pulled out his gun.

"When you came in and called out, he stopped what he was…" she looked around, "He hit me, knocked me out. If he didn't pass you, he couldn't have left."

"He's not in the bathroom, I looked."

She looked across the room, and looked at him. She used her eyes to indicate her walk-in wardrobe. He stood and raised his firearm. Cautiously he approached the closet and wrenched it open, aiming. It was empty.

"There's no-one here…" he turned back to look at her.

"Then let's get the fuck out of here," she pulled on a pair of track bottoms, her breathe becoming steadily unstable.

Danny sat on the bed beside her and took her hand, "Jess, calm down. It's okay; I'm here." Her breathing steadied once more, "Now, get shoes on."

She walked around the other side of her bed and found one trainer. She lifted clothes to find the other. Spotting it half under the bed, she bent down to lift it. She froze at the sight of his boots. "Danny…" she said, warning in her tone.

"Yeah?" he looked round at her and stood up when he saw her expression.

Just then Mulvane swung at Danny's legs, taking them from underneath him and causing him to smack his head against her bed frame as he fell.

"Danny!" Jess screamed and jumped across the bed. She reached his side and called his name.

He groaned and opened his eyes.

"Danny, come on… I need you." Jess called to him.

"You know what?" Mulvane stood over them, "I've had enough. I think I'll just get rid of you now. But," he shrugged his shoulders and mock-sighed, "I'm gonna' have to do away with your boyfriend first."

Jess searched Danny's body and the surrounding area frantically for his handgun.

"Looking for this, sweet cheeks?" he scratched his temple with it and looked at it, "Wonder how much bang it has?" He pointed it at Danny.

Jess shielded his body with her own. The sound of a gun shot resonated in the room, pounding at her eardrums. The sound woke Danny fully and he looked at her, fearing the worst. She looked up at him, her expression one of shock.

"I don't think we'll have any problems from him anymore." Martin and Sam stood in the doorway, Martin with his firearm raised.

Jess looked back at Danny and across to where Mulvane's body lay still, blood seeping from the bullet wound between his eyes.

Martin lowered his weapon and looked at Sam, "I'll call it in."

Jess rested her head on Danny's chest and exhaled deeply, for now it was finally over.


	19. Hero

**A/N:** Well kids, here it is... the end. Time to say goodbye.Unfortunately I've been doing that a lot lately, what with moving out of halls for the summer. Fisher House Massive 05-06, love you always. But I digress. Hope you've enjoyed this... its the first I've actually finished!

Thanks for all the support over the last couple of months

**Andraya TheLat**

**simbagirl**

**babs6608**

**funkyhigh**

**Zonya**

**katydid13**

Enjoy!

Love as always,

C x

* * *

Jess sat on the edge of the ambulance doors as an EMT treated her head wounds. She watched as police and FBI swarmed around her house, in and out, talking to Danny, Sam & Martin. Finally the coroner walked out, followed by the stretcher, a sheet covering his lifeless body. 

Jack sat down heavily beside her, "You okay?"

"Yeah… I'm just glad it's over. Thank god for those three…" she watched the three agents.

"Your own personal heroes…"

"Yeah…" she looked sideways at him, "Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"What are the chances I could get a job with the FBI?"

Jack looked at her sharply, "What?"

"I need to seriously reconsider my position in the service… and particularly within the embassy," she smiled at the EMT, who finished her stitches, and turned back to the Agent, "I'm going to have to deal with an inquest into what happened… the odds are that the service will ask me to leave."

"You got Lizzy back, and you've… apprehended… the criminal."

"But I lied. I shouldn't have taken the job in the first place…" she sighed and leaned heavily on the ambulance as she pulled herself to standing. Folding her arms, she faced him, "My abilities are going to be called into question. I had one job and I screwed up… big time. Jack, the only skill I have is secret service training. I don't want to go private, I don't want to join the police and I definitely don't want to go back to England."

"Look," Jack stood up beside her, "I can't make any promises, but I'll do what I can." She smiled slightly and nodded, "Thank you."

"Hey, you guys okay?" Danny interrupted.

"Yeah, we're good," Jack replied, "I'm gonna go speak to the coroner." With that he scuttled away.

"Well, if that wasn't an excuse to leave us alone…" Jess smiled at him, "How you doing?"

"I'm good. I'm more worried about you," he touched her wound gingerly.

"I'm fine," she smiled, "I think I'm gonna need to wrap everything in my apartment in padding. It's a dangerous place!"

He laughed, "Well, before you do that perhaps I can take you out to dinner, to make up for the one we missed."

She smiled, "Yeah, I'd like that." She looked around at the bustling street and took a deep, cleansing breath, "I'd like that a lot."

* * *


End file.
